The First Battle of Ushant

The Battle of Ushant, also known as the First Battle of Ushant, took place on July 27, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy off the coast of Ushant, an island located in the English Channel, near the western tip of Brittany, France.

The battle was part of the larger Anglo-French conflict during the American Revolutionary War, where France had allied with the American colonists against Great Britain. The French Navy, under the command of Admiral Louis Guillouet, comte d’Orvilliers, was attempting to protect a convoy of merchant ships sailing from America to France.

 

The British fleet, commanded by Admiral Augustus Keppel, sought to intercept and engage the French fleet to prevent the convoy from reaching its destination safely. The British fleet was numerically superior, with 30 ships of the line against the French fleet’s 29 ships of the line.

The engagement began on the morning of July 27, with both fleets maneuvering for advantageous positions. The battle was hard-fought, but it ended inconclusively with neither side achieving a decisive victory. Both fleets suffered significant damage, and the French convoy managed to escape and continue its journey to France.

The battle is notable for being the first major fleet action of the American Revolutionary War involving the French Navy. Despite the lack of a clear outcome, both sides claimed victory, and the battle had political repercussions in both France and Britain.

In the aftermath of the battle, Admiral Keppel faced a court-martial in Britain due to controversies surrounding his conduct during the engagement. While he was ultimately acquitted, the trial created divisions and tensions within the British Navy and political establishment.

The Battle of Ushant demonstrated the naval strength of both Britain and France during the American Revolutionary War and marked the beginning of a series of naval conflicts between the two maritime powers in support of their respective interests in the war.